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Fighting Fake News: Strategies for Critical Thinking

Dive into the world of fake news with Galileo's Assistant Director, Russell Palmer. Learn about the impact of fake news, types of misinformation, and tactics to watch out for, such as logical fallacies and gaslighting. Discover how to fact-check sources and utilize tools like fact-checking sites to distinguish truth from fiction. Enhance your media literacy skills and approach news with a discerning eye to combat the spread of misinformation.

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Fighting Fake News: Strategies for Critical Thinking

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  1. GALILEO vs. Fake News GALILEO WINS! Russell Palmer, Asst. Director, GALILEO Support Services

  2. What is fake news? • “Fake news is frequently used to describe a political story which is seen as damaging to an agency, entity, or person[…]it is by no means restricted to politics, and seems to have currency in terms of general news.” --Merriam-Webster Online

  3. Fake news facts • 67% of people get at least some of their news from social media • 64% believe it causes confusion about facts • 23% have posted/reposted a fake news story (14% knew, 16% oops) • 46% somewhat (over) confident and 39% Very (over) confident in their ability to recognize fake news • More at Pew Research Center, Journalism and Media • http://www.journalism.org/2016/12/15/many-americans-believe-fake-news-is-sowing-confusion/

  4. “Now wait a minute, you just tossed out a bunch of percentages!” • How can we trust you? • I used a reliable/trusted source • I am able to review their statistical methodology in detail to see how they reached their conclusions • I cited it so that you can review it on your own time and compare it to other information

  5. Types of misinformation • Propaganda • Clickbait • Sponsored content • Satire/Hoax • Conspiracy theory • Pseudoscience • Misinformation • Error • Partisanship

  6. Examples

  7. Tactics (what to watch for) • Logical fallacies • Gaslighting • Lying with math and statistics • Lying with charts and graphs • Context, context, context

  8. Logical fallacies • Slippery slope • Hasty generalization • Post hoc ergo propter hoc • Genetic fallacy • Begging the claim • Circular argument • Either/or • Ad hominem • Ad populum • Red herring • Straw man • Moral equivalence • Read all about logical fallacies at the Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/

  9. Gaslighting • Context is important here • Manipulation tactic, “psychological warfare” • Deliberate distortions made (and repeated) to manipulate • Done to incite doubt and lower self confidence • Results in suppression of facts, repressing doubts/concerns

  10. Lying with math and statistics • The lie of averages • “Average income” • 1+2+ (5.5) 9+10=22/4=5.5 • 1+2+20+30+70+55+100+ (164.2)200+1000=1478/9=164.2

  11. Lying with charts and graphs (watch your axes!)

  12. Context, context, context

  13. Who fact checks the fact checkers?

  14. What else can I do? Evaluating sources • Critical thinking—where does the information in divergent reports interact? • There is almost always bias in conclusions; draw from facts • Controversial? Give it a day • Often, more details come to light • Anonymous sources • One? A few? Consider the source • They got it wrong! Did they retract or correct? • Outlets that do (vs. refusing to back down) are more trustworthy

  15. Fact checking sites –the basics • Duke University—Reporter’s Lab • https://reporterslab.org/fact-checking/ • FactCheck (Annenberg Policy Center) • http://www.factcheck.org • HealthNewsReview • https://www.healthnewsreview.org • Politifact • http://www.politifact.com • Snopes • http://www.snopes.com Explore more at: http://libguides.umw.edu/c.php?g=424264&p=2898977 And here http://guides.library.stonybrook.edu/fakenews/resources

  16. GALILEO wins! Databases that help • Academic Search Complete • Newspaper Source • Consumer Health Complete • Gale LegalForms • Statistical Abstract of the United States • Explora (kids) • What else do you use?

  17. How the Discover search can help • Research Starters –lots of facts, lots of links to more, lots of citations

  18. Ethically speaking… • We provide tools and access to information • Present accurate facts • Teach users to be media literate and apply the strategies we discussed today in their approach to the news and other media • Challenges: • Avoiding letting our own opinions/bias creep into the reference encounter • Treating those with wildly different opinions than our own respectfully

  19. Thank you! Russell Palmer Assistant Director, GALILEO Support Services russell.palmer@usg.edu • Slides available: • https://about.galileo.usg.edu/documents

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